On Wednesday evening, a manhole explosion occurred on Harrison Avenue in the South End of Boston, causing a power outage in the area. Eversource officials reported that customers had started reporting their lights flickering and dimming just before 5 p.m., and the power was knocked out completely around 5:45 p.m. The incident drew an emergency response, and crews raced to fix the problem, which Eversource identified as an underground cable failure.
The explosion sent smoke into the air and left many businesses in the dark, including Convenience Plus, a store in the area. The owner of the store captured video with his cell phone of the scene, which ultimately left his store and many others without power. Area resident Tom Downard, who frequents the store, said, “This place is always open. It’s even open on Sunday, so I figured something was going on.”
Boston Medical Center, however, remained unaffected by the power outage. A spokesperson for the hospital told 7NEWS that they were operating as normal. Meanwhile, individuals working in some surrounding businesses were left hoping their power would kick back in sooner rather than later Wednesday evening. Convenience Plus Owner Sheikh Bahauddin expressed concern about the potential loss of inventory if power was not restored soon. He said, “We have so much stuff here, so if it doesn’t come within the next six hours, we will have a big loss.”
Crews were still on the scene at around 9 p.m. Wednesday, working to restore power to the affected buildings. Eversource reported that only a few buildings were affected and that crews were working to get power restored soon.
Power outages caused by manhole explosions are not uncommon in urban areas. These explosions occur when electrical cables overheat and ignite gases or other flammable materials in the manhole. The resulting explosion can damage nearby buildings and cause power outages.
To prevent these types of incidents, utility companies often use infrared cameras to detect hot spots in electrical cables before they overheat and cause an explosion. They also use other technologies to monitor the condition of cables and other equipment to prevent failures.
In conclusion, the manhole explosion on Harrison Avenue in Boston’s South End caused a power outage in the area, affecting several buildings. Crews are working to restore power, and Eversource officials have identified the cause of the outage as an underground cable failure. While Boston Medical Center remained unaffected, many businesses in the area were left in the dark, and owners expressed concern about potential losses. To prevent similar incidents, utility companies use various technologies to monitor the condition of cables and other equipment.